Letters to the editor

Hale fellows

With strength of spirit friends can overcome corporeal limitations

Editor, The Times:

Thank you for "Hard work on weakened body strengthens bond of friendship" (Times page one, April 11) and "Friendship keeps them afloat" (Living, April 11) about Alvin Harkey and Phil Wood. In a world where so many people are focused on their own needs and desires, it is so inspirational to read about how, in helping Phil, Alvin finds meaning and inspiration in his own life.

The article captured the mutual dedication these men have for one another, and highlighted for me the value of friendship, physical fitness and service. God gave Alvin a gift and he has found a way to use it to give meaning and hope to Phil's life. Alvin seems to get as much benefit from the relationship as Phil, and their mutual respect is obvious.

My family (our daughters are 11, 15 and 18) will discuss your article over ways we can be of service to our neighbors and friends while at the same time enriching our lives and strengthening our faith. It is real-life stories such as this one that provide us with new ways of looking at strangers, disabilities and the power of keeping a commitment.

I may even use the article and its photos with the preschoolers I teach as we discuss what it means to be "differently abled" and how friends can help.

Thank you for helping my day begin with tears of inspiration and a sense of challenge to look for ways to be a good friend and make my community better.

— Lisa Phelps, Bellevue

Grace over pressure

So many times people turn away from the disabled as though they may catch an illness from them. It is truly refreshing to read about Alvin Harkey's vision of Phil Wood as a world-class athlete and his commitment to helping him fight his battle to retain the use of his muscles. In my view, both Harkey and Wood are unsung heroes who deserve to be honored as your article did so well.

If the public were presented with positive articles like this more frequently, I believe we would all feel better about the human condition and be called to find our own inner hero to make the world a better place to live in.

— Brenda Thomas, Seattle

Hopes float

When so much of what we hear about people is how thoroughly we can destroy each other, the friendship between Alvin Harkey and Phil Wood shines as a rare gem that lets us know there is hope for the human race. These gentlemen are the embodiment of selflessness and compassion (Harkey) and courage and perseverance (Wood).

Thanks to writer Dana Standish and The Seattle Times for giving us this story of true friendship, and thanks to Mr. Harkey and Mr. Wood for letting us press our noses to the window to see something wondrous to behold.

— Becky Wood (no relation), Seattle

Extending benefits

Time well spent

I would like to commend Congressmen Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Fred Upton, R-Mich., on their efforts to extend Daylight Savings Time ("Legislation extends daylight-saving time," News, April 7). In addition to the great energy savings they offer as a justification, a far more important benefit should be mentioned: hundreds of lives would be saved.

Why? Because darkness contributes to car accidents which in turn cause injury or death. An extra hour of daylight in the evening will prevent many of those accidents and save lives that will otherwise be lost. However, it trades off an extra hour of darkness in the morning, so the question is: Is there a net benefit — when does darkness matter more, at night or in the morning?

There is little doubt more people are awake and moving about at 4 p.m.-6 p.m. than at 6 a.m.-8 a.m., so it is logical to believe that on balance there will be a substantial savings of lives and injuries by extending Daylight Savings Time.

One group that might be negatively impacted are schoolchildren: They are awake and active at 6 a.m.-8 a.m. when they walk to school (and not as active at 4 p.m.-6 p.m. when most are home from school). To alleviate their concerns, schools could start classes one hour later in winter so students would not have to walk to school in darkness.

I am glad to see Congress' proposed change to Daylight Savings Time, and urge all legislators that the resulting benefits would be far greater than the mere energy savings mentioned.

— Steve Calandrillo, associate professor, University of Washington School of Law, Seattle

Pet peeves

Signs of bad breeding

I haven't agreed with some of James J. Na's previous writings in The Times, but he has my whole-hearted applause and endorsement on "Here's the real poop on civic-minded Seattle" (guest commentary, April 13). The only quibble I have is that he should have included Bellevue in his "target area," as my personal experience confirms that it, too, deserves his admonitions.

Although Bellevue has a "leash law," my next-door neighbor allows her dogs to repeatedly (usually on a daily basis) visit my yard and leave their deposits. And when one sees a driver stopping for a red light, stop sign or cross-walk in the city in conformance with state law, it is cause for wonderment, if not celebration.

In Bellevue's case, there is no chance that we could elect/hire former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani to step up enforcement, as the "citizens" wouldn't stand for it: Why should city ordinances and state laws be obeyed when only the whiners complain?

And the City Council is too busy trying to figure out how to pay for the new City Hall to worry about such mundane matters as dog poop and traffic-regulation enforcement.

— David Plummer, Bellevue

Dog is my co-dependent

Seattle sure is ground zero for the dog freaks. A woman who insists on bringing her dog into Costco is taking advantage of the fact that no certification is required for "service animals" ("Pint-sized service dog has own Costco card," Local News, April 9).

Any pet could be labeled a "service animal." What if every pet kook brought their animals into markets, banks, post offices and other stores? How, exactly, does this dog aid her while she's shopping?

Seeing a pet in a grocery store or any other store is a real turn-off. Today's pet owners have lost their minds; they believe their animals are children, even dressing them in designer clothes and sending them to day care. I stopped dressing my dog when I was 8.

— Morgan Walker, Sparks, Nev.